What does morphology refer to in linguistics?

Morphology in linguistics pertains to the study of the structure and form of words in a language. It focuses primarily on the parts of words, such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and how these components come together to create meaning. Understanding morphology is crucial for analyzing how words are formed and how they function within a language.

The other options address different aspects of language: the study of sentence structure relates to syntax, the meaning of phrases pertains to semantics, and the rules of grammar encompass a broader range of language rules including morphology, but also syntax and phonetics. Hence, the focus on the parts of the words accurately defines morphology.